Hurtigruten with a second ship in Antarctica for 2016-2017

Hurtigruten is moving ms Midnatsol to Antarctica for 2016-2017 season, and more than triples company’s passenger capacity in the polar region.

The 674-passenger ms Midtnatsol (built in 2003) will join Hurtigruten’s 312-passenger ms Fram (built in 2007), thus increasing the seasonal berths of the line in 2016-2017 from 2,268 to 6,800.

Highlights of Antarctica itineraries include the Falkland Islands, Patagonia, Magellan Strait, Cape Horn and Chilean fjords. Sailings depart from October 2016 through March 2017 with prices from $6,000 to $6,670 per person, double occupancy.

According to a company statement, to accommodate the additional cruise ship, ms Fram will be sailing out of Ushuaia and seek out new destinations in Antarctica, inaccessible to larger groups. Passengers will have the opportunity to take on more extreme excursions such as expedition camping among penguins and skiing on glaciers.

The company said, ms Midnatsol would require minor adjustments, but already had an ice class 1 C rating, redundant propulsion system and helipad.